ANTenna Blog -- Hardware & Software

Would you turn down a free insurance policy? That's exactly what Linux users get, thanks to this collection of free, open-source data backup tools.

I have tried a lot of backup software over the years. And I know that one person's perfect backup tool is another person's waking nightmare. It all boils down to finding the right tool to match your personal preferences and your company's business needs.

Earlier this year, LinuxLinks.com rounded up no less than 21 of its favorite free Linux backup applications. It's a terriffc resource, and it's relevant to almost any Linux user -- from absolute beginners who don't want anything to do with a command line to seasoned system admins looking for better ways to work.

The guide breaks down backup tools into five main categories: GUI-based software, command-line apps, snapshot backups, synchronization tools, and disaster recovery/disk cloning software. (It also has a "specialist" tool category that includes just one product, Zmanda Recovery Manager, which is a Perl-based utility designed specifically to back up MySQL databases.)

Each of the tools gets a fairly detailed treatment that includes a screen shot (when applicable), a list of key features, and a brief discussion of when and where a particular product is likely to prove most useful.

The guide doesn't cover every available LInux backup option. But it will at least give you a good overview of what to expect from a quality backup product, and it really does offer something for almost everyone.